Sugarcane growers demand minimum ₹5,000 per tonne from mills

Sugarcane farmers across India's key producing regions have intensified appeals to sugar manufacturers for a minimum procurement price of ₹5,000 per tonne, citing rising cultivation costs and eroding margins. The demand underscores persistent tensions between growers and industry over fair pricing mechanisms in a sector that employs millions of rural households.

Farming organizations argue that current price offerings fail to adequately compensate for input costs, including fertilizers, labor, and equipment, which have surged in recent years. Many cultivators report that prevailing rates do not provide sufficient returns to sustain their operations or invest in agricultural improvements.

The sugar industry has historically resisted prescriptive pricing demands, citing global market fluctuations and domestic competition. Industry representatives contend that fixed floor prices may constrain their operational flexibility and competitiveness in volatile commodity markets.

The issue reflects broader agricultural challenges in India, where price realization remains a key concern for farmers across multiple crops. State governments and central authorities have periodically intervened through advisory price mechanisms, though formalized floor prices remain contested in the sugarcane sector.